North to South

Since I last posted to the blog Helena and I traversed the country north to south, traveling from the Black Sea in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south. We descended by mini-bus, then mega-bus, through deciduous forests starting to show their autumnal colors, to the desert scrub in the middle of the country - Ankara.  It was another plush bus experience, with a steward serving drinks and a mid-point tea stop.  

In Ankara (the capitol of Turkey) we boarded a plane for Bodrum-Milas, on the Aegean Coast. But that wasn't our final destination. We were bound for Fethiye, further south on the Med coast. So we rented a car and drove, very reminiscent of our 2000 road journey when we drove Antalya to Bodrum and back on the same roads. 

The roads were fantastic and uncrowded and we made good time to Fethiye. Helena was driving and I was back backup to keep her on the right side of the road (since she hasn't driven in 6 months, and before that it was only NZ!)

In Fethiye we met up with Lucia and Jake, friends of Helena's from Budapest, and their son Eldar, and they were nice enough to invite into their home for the night. And a what a night it was!  Crashing thunder, bolts of lightening and torrential rain - either a late summer storm of early winter, but it was back to sunny and mid-80's the next day, so who knows.  In any event, no one could sleep much that night.

Fethiye didn't have much draw for us other than seeing Helena's friends. It is a large harbor for yachties and expats, pretty charmless and overrun with English and German retirees.  We did get in a brief swim before the storm hit at a small cove far outside the town frequented only by the Turkish. The first dip in the swimming pool temp of the Med was heavenly!